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SEASONAL VARIATION OF TUNGIASIS IN AN ENDEMIC COMMUNITY

Tungiasis (caused by the sand flea Tunga penetrans) is hyperendemic in many resource-poor communities in Brazil. To understand transmission dynamics of this parasitic skin disease in a typical endemic area, a longitudinal study was carried out in a slum in Fortaleza in northeastern Brazil. In a door-to-door survey, the population of a randomly selected area (n = 1,460) was examined on four occasions for the presence of embedded sand fleas. Prevalence rates were 33.6% in March (rainy season), 23.8% in June (end of the rainy season), 54.4% in September (peak of the dry season), and 16.8% in January (begin of the rainy season). Tungiasis was more common in males than in females. The intensity of infestation was correlated with the prevalence. The study shows that prevalence of tungiasis and parasite burden vary significantly during the year with a peak in the dry season. These findings have important consequences for the design of control measures.

Received June 7, 2004. Accepted for publication July 21, 2004.

Acknowledgments: We thank the Fundação Cearense de Meteorologia for providing meteorologic data. The skilful assistance of Antonia Valéria Assunção Santos and Vania Santos de Andrade Souza is gratefully acknowledged. The data are part of a medical thesis by Thomas Wilcke. We are indebted to Michi Feldmeier for excellent secretarial assistance.

Financial support: This study was supported in part by the Ärztekomittee für die Dritte Welt (Frankfurt, Germany) and the World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland). Thomas Wilcke was supported by a travel grant by the Deutscher Akademischer Auslandsdienst/Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior PROBRAL academic exchange program. The American Committee on Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health (ACCTMTH) assisted with publication expenses.

Authors’ addresses: Jörg Heukelbach, Department of Community Health, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Rua Prof. Costa Mendes 1608, Fortaleza CE 60931-140, Brazil, Telephone/Fax: 55-85-278-3093, E-mail:samsa{at}mcanet.com.br. Thomas Wilcke and Hermann Feldmeier, Institute for Infection Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology of Infection, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 27, 12203 Berlin, Germany, Telephone:49-30-8445-3630, Fax:49-30-8445-3830, E-mails: thomaswilckw{at}hotmail.com and Feldmeier.fuberlin{at}t-online.de. Gundel Harms, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Charité, Humboldt University Berlin, Spandauer Damm 130, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Telephone: 49-30-3010-2741, Fax: 49-30-3010-2743, E-mail: gundel.harms{at}charite.de.

Reprint requests: Jörg Heukelbach, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Rua Prof. Costa Mendes 1608, Fortaleza CE 60931-140, Brazil.

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				L. WITT, J. HEUKELBACH, S. SCHWALFENBERG, R. A. RIBEIRO, G. HARMS, and H. FELDMEIER INFESTATION OF WISTAR RATS WITH TUNGA PENETRANS IN DIFFERENT MICROENVIRONMENTS Am J Trop Med Hyg, April 1, 2007; 76(4): 666 - 668. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]